best back up pistol?

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glock22ongrip

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Hey I am thinking of what the best back up pistol for me would be. I am considering a ruger sp101 .357, a kel tec p11, glock 26, ect. I will be cc'ing with a iwb holster most likely. I also pack a glock 22 open carry usually while working. By the way I have a Glock 23 and hate it, and I am not sold on the 27 either. What do you all think? I am very interested in people's report on the reliability of the kel tec. Thanks
 
I just don't shoot it well. I can blast fast and accurately with all my other pistols but not my g23. It would serve me better at a bludgeoning device. I can shoot snake eyes with my sa 1911 micro .45 as fast as I can spit em but not my g23.
 
I don't consider a back-up pistol necessary for typical civilian carry, but just for grins, I wanted a micro-compact just so I could say that I had one (a back-up).
My primary carry is a Colt Commander in a VM2 holster, but sometimes I grab my new "backup" if I'm dressing really light.

But a strange thing happened; I found that my backup turned out to be a heckuva primary pistol as well.

I'm really liking this Rohrbaugh R9S Stealth.
 
If you are that accurate with your .45 Micro Compact, why not use it as your backup. In my experience it will be as easy to conceal as the Glock 26 you are considering.

If things go bad to the point where you need to go to your backup, you will be so deep in the hole you'll need every advantage to get yourself out. That small .45 gives you an edge over a lot of the other, smaller guns.

When I carry auto loaders I usually carry a 5 inch 1911 for primary and a 3 inch 1911 Micro Compact for backup.

Respectfully,

DarkSoldier
 
If you are that accurate with your .45 Micro Compact, why not use it as your backup. In my experience it will be as easy to conceal as the Glock 26 you are considering.

If things go bad to the point where you need to go to your backup, you will be so deep in the hole you'll need every advantage to get yourself out. That small .45 gives you an edge over a lot of the other, smaller guns.

When I carry auto loaders I usually carry a 5 inch 1911 for primary and a 3 inch 1911 Micro Compact for backup.

Respectfully,

DarkSoldier
 
I use a P3AT when I carry a BUG. Hows things in Greenville? I worked there over the summer, that wildfire smoke was awful.
 
I am considering a ruger sp101 .357, a kel tec p11, glock 26, ect.
Click to expand...

I am a fan of the P11/40/357. 13 years later, you'd be very hard pressed to find another 9mm of the same size, weight and capacity, let alone price. You might also consider the Kel-tec PF9. It is exactly the same dimensions as the P11 except it is thinner and lighter. Unlike the the P11, the PF9 is a single stack with the same hammer block and trigger system as the P3AT. It is a better trigger than the P11. I own a few Kel-tecs and they are very reliable weapons that are incredibly easy to carry. They are much improved over earlier versions. If you can live with 380 acp as a backup, at 8 oz empty, the tiny P3AT simply disappears in your pocket.
 
If you can take the size and weight of an SP-101 in .357 as a backup, go for it. You've got one of the most reliable guns available, coupled with one of the most effective rounds. Complete package.
 
Just a note, but you might send the Glock 23 in for service... It isn't unheard of that problems occur resulting in the shipping and sale of a gun that just never functions / shoots quite right.

In any event, if you have the option, I am for carrying a Glock 19 and Glock 26... You get good guns, that have (to a limited extent) commonality of magazines and ammo.

Nice to have some Keltecs and NAA's around to carry no matter what the wardrobe requirements might be.
 
I am a fan of the PF-9 by Kel Tec. Although I have not seen / handled one, I am on the look out at my local shops. The size seems to be just about perfect for cc and the owners of said gun seem to be pretty happy with it. It's at least on my short list to look at when I make my next purchase.

Funny, before I even fired the first handgun I purchased a couple weeks ago, I have been looking at the next one. After firing the gun, I am ready as soon as the wallet allows and I get my CCW :D
 
I am a fan of the PF-9 by Kel Tec. Although I have not seen / handled one, I am on the look out at my local shops. The size seems to be just about perfect for cc and the owners of said gun seem to be pretty happy with it. It's at least on my short list to look at when I make my next purchase
Click to expand...

I believe it can get pretty cold there in Cinci, be aware that the PF-9 has a rather small trigger guard. I couldn't get my finger inside it with gloves on, even thin ones. I ended up trading the PF-9 away and buying a Kahr CW9, slightly larger and slightly heavier but better made and I can get a gloved finger inside the trigger guard.
 
A backup pistol for civilian carry? The whole point of legal CCW is defense, and escaping danger. LE carry backup pistols because our job involves situations where we have a high probability of having our primary weapon taken from us, or we must continue to fight beyond the limitations of our primary weapon.

As a civilian, if you fear that your primary CCW isn't dependable enough to warrant the use of a BUG, then you need a new primary weapon. I don't even like to carry a BUG on duty. It divides your ability to maximize weapon retention and gives the bad guy more options to grab a weapon. Also, BUGs are usually not as well secured as the primary weapon making for a easy grab by the bad guy or is more likely to fall out during a scuffle.
 
Considerations for BUG.

Think about what a BUG is used for. Your primary is either down or posession is being "contested". Your backup should be as heavy a hitter as you can handle with one hand. Personally, I'd opt for large caliber, steel frame, something I can control one handed.

As for civilians not needing a backup, what makes anybody in a gunfight different from anybody else in a gunfight? Let's assume I'm not a cop (I'm not) and have a family (I do) and we get in a jam where the only option is to trade ammunition with someone(s).
1) I cannot run away and abandon my family. The aggressor has the opportunity to get as close as he likes (unless I shoot him to the ground).
2) Both my carry guns have proven reliable for several years. What if today is the unluckiest day of my life? It's already pretty rotten if I'm in a gunfight.
3) Beyond the limitations of the primary weapon? What limitations do you think I have regarding the safety of my family? None, zero, nada.
4) Grabbing the primary is cause to draw the backup. If he lets o to grab your backup, shoot him again with the primary.

Personally, I usually carry a fixed blade knife, two inch blade, off side, for a retention tool/backup weapon. The times I do carry a backup gun, it's the second 5" 1911 with two more reloads. I don't go to Indian Country anymore, so that's been a while. And it usually involved a long gun in the trunk, too.
 
One thing I make sure about my BUG... it has to take the same ammo as my primary.
Taurus M445 as BUG for my S&W M21.
High Standard compact as BUG for my RIA Match.
2 .44 specials and 2 .45 ACPs.


Jim
 
Thanks guys for the input. I'll be checking out the kel tec family. I should add that I am a bail agent who arrests over 150 skips per year. I want something on my ankle that I can grab in my car when driving easily. The micro 1911 is simply to heavy for this, but it is sweet for IWB carry.
 
When practical, one's BUG and primary gun should function in the same way. This is so you can train twice as much in the same set of operations, which will make you more effective with both guns.

If the ammo and magazines are interchangable, that's an added bonus.
 
I've been carrying a gun (and whenever possible a BUG) for a living for one governmental entity or another since I was 19 years old. That covers a lot of time and ground. I don't feel it's my place to tell a civilian that he or she does not need a BUG.

Marcus is right about a second gun being an added responsibility and that should be considered and addressed by all of us when we decide whether we want to carry a BUG (along with all the other serious issues that go along with the decision to go about armed).

But consider this:

Civilians who find themselves in legitimate self defense situations will not have the luxury of a patrol partner beside them or a shift of SWAT cops en route for backup. The citizen must deal with the situation alone with what they have on their person. The best equipment can break or fail at the most critical time. When the primary gun fails, the citizen (or officer) can trust their lives and the lives of their loved ones to luck, mercy, or a backup gun. I've already used up all my luck and I've found little mercy in such situations. I'll trust my backup and I have no problem if civilians choose to do so as well.

Respectfully,

DarkSoldier
 
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